Anti-Gay

"You're anti-gay."

Such a simple sentence. Clear. Concise. Easy to understand. But, of course, not for me.

Look, here's how my mind works. "You're." Define that term. To whom are you addressing that "you"? Is it me, an individual, or is "you" a plural, a reference to a particular group or thought? "Anti-gay." This one is worse. You're going to have to define for me both "anti" and "gay". I'm supposing off the top that by "gay" you do not mean "festive" or "happy", so you are most likely referring to something else. I am going to assume it is something to do with homosexuality. But what does the term mean when you use it? Are you referring to same-sex sexual attraction? Are you referring to an assumed genetic or birth condition that makes one that way? Perhaps you're referencing an entire lifestyle predicated on this condition? Or are you referring to particular activities associated with this same-sex attraction? Or something else? And in what sense to you mean "anti"? I mean, I understand you think I am opposed in some sense to whatever you mean by "gay", but in what sense? It could run the gamut from "You think it's immoral" to "You want to eliminate it and anyone who has it" (whatever it--"gay"--is) to "You hate those who are (whatever that is)". What is "anti" to you?

And now I'm mired in a complete incomprehension of what appeared to be a simple sentence.

You see, it gets really complicated here. I believe that the behaviors associated with people who have same-sex sexual attraction are classified by God as sin. Not the attraction; the behaviors. And I'm opposed to sin. But I believe that if I steal a pen from work that it's classified by God as sin. I'm opposed to sin. So I am opposed to homosexual behavior and I am opposed to my own theft of a pen. Am I "anti-taker-of-pens"? And when I say I oppose sin, I do not mean "I wish to banish it and go on the road to eliminate all the evil beings that indulge in it." In my mind, if God says, "Don't" and you do, it won't go well for you. I want things to go well for you. So I would encourage you to avoid doing what He says not to do and to certainly do what He says to do. That's my "opposition". I'm opposed to having bad things happen to you, especially if it's something you chose to do that you didn't need to choose to do. Further, the fact is that everyone does things which violate God's standards. This violation has horrible consequences (read "Hell"). If you don't know that you're violating God's standards, you won't know that you are in jeopardy and need a remedy. And I know the remedy. Thus, if I point out that you're violating God's standards, perhaps the fact that I know the remedy will be a good thing to you. (Note: the remedy is not "Be good." Reform is not the answer.) So is that "anti"? Is it "anti" to want the best for someone else? Is it "anti" to point to a problem with a solution in hand?

I know. I talk a lot about the problem with language. I know that I see these days as a modern Tower of Babel where one language is being confused into many. I know. But perhaps now you can see how a simple, apparently obvious sentence can trip up an entire understanding and why it is an issue for me. Because if we are two people separated by a common language, we just won't be able to communicate very well. And what I hope to communicate is something good.